“...I'll take you back first, then I'll go find Renn in a bit.”
“Okay...”
On the way back to the tavern, Esper did not say a single word.
Eladia walked behind her. With the disappearance of the Abyss environment, the distance between them returned to three feet once again.
Whenever Esper's pace slowed, Eladia's pace would slow down as well. Whenever Esper sped up slightly, Eladia would take a few quick steps to keep up.
The sky had completely darkened, and most of the light came from the oil lamps and fireplaces shining through the windows of the roadside houses. When Esper pushed open the tavern door, the hinges let out a dry, raspy creak.
Then, she saw Renn.
Renn had returned to the tavern ahead of them.
He sat at the table in the corner, an untouched mug of ale sitting before him.
The guy had changed into clean clothes. The sleeve of his right arm was neatly tied off at the shoulder, the fold arranged meticulously, as if he had repeatedly adjusted it with his left hand at least a dozen times.
His face was a bit paler than usual, but his posture remained perfectly straight.
His sword was broken, placed by his side, just lying there.
If not for that empty sleeve, he looked no different from usual.
“Mr. Renn... your hand...”
Eladia's voice was so soft it was nearly drowned out by the crackling of the firewood in the tavern.
She took two steps forward, raising her hand to her chest, a faint golden glow shimmering at her fingertips.
“No need.”
Renn's voice was very calm.
“But...”
“This is proof of my defeat.”
He pressed his left hand onto the tabletop, pushing himself up.
His movement to stand was still clean and agile, showing no awkward swaying from losing an arm.
“If I let this wound heal, this humiliation will lose its weight. The next time I face her, I will need this severed arm to remind myself how strong she truly is, and how far behind her I still am.”
Eladia's fingers paused in midair. Her lips trembled slightly, and then she slowly lowered her hand.
The holy light faded from her fingertips.
Esper said nothing.
She walked over to sit opposite Renn, resting the Holy Sword on the edge of the table.
The white light on the blade was still faint, but it was already much brighter than it had been in the ruins, slowly recovering.
“Was it Yulia?”
“...Yeah. She joined the Abyss, but she didn't become one of the death marchers. Though, in terms of the nature of her identity, there's really no difference anymore.”
Renn sat back down, took a sip of the ale with his left hand, set it back on the table, and then began to speak.
“Her task was to ensure I wouldn't interfere with the battle over there. I lost. But looking at the outcome, it doesn't seem to have made much of a difference.”
He did not explain why he lost, nor did he describe the details of the fight.
He was simply stating a fact, as if reporting the outcome of a patrol mission.
“...By the way, where is Kaylar? Has she climbed back into her room through the window yet?”
Esper's hands clenched tightly.
“She was taken away by her Pope.”
“...I see.”
Renn's gaze lowered slightly.
“Let's finish talking about what just happened first. Her colleagues must be the ones you fought. Do you know who they are?”
“They are death marchers, 『Greed』 and 『Jealousy』. The former seems to be the entity that faced the Wild Hunt, named Landon, Landon Colen—the Rank Six adventurer. But if it was truly him, the strength he displayed is far too different from what is recorded.”
“Perhaps there is some kind of restriction on him, preventing him from exerting his full power,” Renn added.
“Yeah. As for the latter... he's an acquaintance of mine. Louis, the Court Head of the Demon Court.”
“Hmm?”
The knight was puzzled.
“Isn't he still alive?”
“...What?”
“The Demon Court Head. The same Louis who inherited the position before the new Demon King took the throne is still the Court Head to this day, and has never left the Demon Realm even once.”
Esper's breath caught.
“...So one doesn't have to be dead to become a death marcher?”
“...Yes, it's highly likely. In other words... it's also possible for a death marcher version of me to appear, or... you.”
Louis's words echoed in her mind once more.
Her, who had become the Demon King.
...No, surely such a day would never come.
“Back to Yulia. She said Louis and the others were her colleagues. Landon, Yulia, and Louis were operating together in the same group. Did they have any other accomplices?”
“I don't know. Kaylar defeated Louis, but when I went back to look for him, he had already vanished. There were traces of grease on the ground, very similar to Cirian's. So Cirian was likely assisting them as well, but because her direct combat strength is too weak, she didn't participate in the battle.”
Esper continued.
“From the current results, Louis was taken away by Cirian, and then Yulia dragged Landon away.”
“...I see.”
Renn nodded.
Silence fell for a moment.
“Kaylar's sect shouldn't be the Weavers' Association,” Esper said softly.
“That much is indeed obvious, but the problem is that we can't be sure what her actual sect is, right?”
“Yeah... so I wanted to ask you. Are there any members of the Abyss Cult who wear rust-colored full plate armor and fight using fire and blacksmithing techniques?”
Renn thought for a moment.
“The World-Forging Cult.”
When he uttered those words, Esper's fingers unconsciously gripped the edge of the table.
“One of the Abyss cults. Extreme human supremacists. Kaylar is a member of this cult?”
“Yeah... the reason the Pope took her away... was apostasy.”
Renn's brow furrowed.
“Tell me the details.”
“The Pope came in person. Extremely strong. Stronger than any Rank Nine I've ever seen. To protect me, Kaylar used up a promise between her and the Pope.”
Esper's voice was dry, each word squeezed out with great effort.
“And then... the Pope took her back to be judged on charges of harboring non-humans and other offenses.”
She paused there, then added, “...”
Renn was silent for a long time.
He downed the remaining ale in his mug in one gulp, then gently set the mug back on the table.
“I need to return to Avalon.”
His tone remained calm.
“The Sword Saint and the Emperor need to know that Yulia has joined the death marchers. This information must be entered into the official archives. Her swordsmanship style, behavioral patterns, and current range of abilities all need to be updated.”
He stood up, pressing his left hand on the table. He nodded first, then spoke his next words.
“There is one more thing. I met a messenger while I was waiting here. He told me that the Church has requested you and the Saintess to return to the City of Holy Radiance. The specific details are unclear. It only says you are to return to report on your duties. In addition, the arrangements for the Hero's next stage also seem to have changed.”
“Beatrice?”
“Yeah, supposedly it's a decree issued by the Pope herself. But there was only a verbal message, for some unknown reason.”
Probably because that brat found it too troublesome...
Renn picked up his broken sword from the edge of the table and sheathed it at his waist.
“Renn, when are you leaving?”
“First thing tomorrow morning. You two should set off as soon as possible too.”
He turned around, took two steps toward the stairs, and then stopped.
“Esper, pull yourself together.”
He spoke with his back to them.
“That girl won't die so easily. She is stronger and more resilient than she thinks. Besides, since the World-Forging Cult wants to put her on trial, it means she still has value to be judged.”
Without waiting for a response, he headed straight up the stairs.
The sound of his footsteps fell heavily on the old wooden stairs, steady and calm, unlike someone who had just lost an arm.
Esper watched his back disappear around the corner of the stairs, then sheathed the Holy Sword and hung it at her waist.
“Let's go back to our room first too.”
“...Okay.”
Eladia stood up and followed Esper upstairs.
Before they stepped onto the stairs, a voice suddenly came from the counter behind them.
“How is that child doing now?”
It was the tavern owner.
He stood behind the counter with a rag in hand, resting on the bar, looking as if he had been wiping the tables just moments ago.
His eyes peered over the shelf at them, his gaze carrying a hesitant uncertainty.
That child.
Esper's footsteps stopped.
Silence lingered for quite a while.
“...She will come back.”
Esper continued walking.
“I'll go bring her back.”
Rate on N.U.
